Parcells, Shields among 26 Hall of Fame semifinalists

First-year candidates Bill Parcells and Will Shields are among the 26 semifinalists being considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2012, it was announced Tuesday.

Although technically a first-year eligible candidate, Parcells has been a finalist twice before (2001, 2002) following his announced retirement as coach of the New York Jets in 1999. Parcells returned to coach the Dallas Cowboys in 2003, and the five-year waiting period was in effect when he retired from coaching in 2006.

The Hall of Fame's Selection Committee chose the 26 semifinalists from the previously announced list of 105 preliminary nominees.

In addition to the two first-year eligible nominees, four other previously eligible candidates -- Steve Atwater, Clay Matthews, Karl Mecklenburg and longtime contributor Ron Wolf -- made it to the semifinalists list for the first time. Each of the remaining 20 nominees on the selection committee's list has been a semifinalist at least once prior to this year.

The list of 26 semifinalists will be reduced by mail ballot to 15 modern-era finalists. That list increases to 17 finalist nominees with the inclusion of the two recommended candidates of the Hall of Fame's Seniors Committee: cornerback Jack Butler of the Steelers (1951-59) and guard Dick Stanfel of the Lions (1952-55) and Redskins (1956-58).

The results of the modern-era reduction vote to 15 finalists will be announced in early January, 2012.

The Class of 2012 will be determined at the Selection Committee's annual meeting on Saturday, Feb. 4, in Indianapolis the day before Super Bowl XLVI.